7 Days Japan Travel across Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka - Itinerary Check

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  Hybroid on 20/01/2020 - 16:03

  Team Lab Planets > Borderless

  Aside from that, rest looks pretty good.

  https://old.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/ is a great resource for itineraries.

  • 

    eathb on 20/01/2020 - 16:24

    Thanks! Will be doing Planets instead of Borderless after further reading.

  • 

    eathb on 20/01/2020 - 17:42

    Actually it just occured to me that needing to wear shorts at Planets would reveal my tattoos which might be a problem :(

    • 

      Hybroid on 20/01/2020 - 18:13

      Nope, the whole 'taboo tattoo' thing is way overblown. No one really cares there. Exceptions may be in public baths or spas but otherwise, literally no one cares if you walked around in a singlet and had full shower & arm tats.

      Also the water exhibit is fairly dark and it's all tourists anyway. Well worthwhile though.

      • 

        eathb on 20/01/2020 - 18:43

        Good to know!

  • 

    Clear on 20/01/2020 - 17:47

    Borderless was terrible. Line up for an hour in a stinky hot hallway to spend 2 minutes in a room of mirrors with hanging lamps.

    • 

      Hybroid on 20/01/2020 - 18:12

      General consensus is Planets is the one to go to if you want the immersive experience and to appreciate the installation. Borderless is the one for kids and instagram showoff wannabes.

      • 

        fivespice on 24/01/2020 - 16:37

        Ahhhh, wish I went to Planets. Didn't do a tonne of research so my fault I guess. Borderless was only OK imo.

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  crashloaded on 20/01/2020 - 16:09

  Be sure to buy tickets in advance for Ghibli museum, I made that mistake 😔

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  one man clan on 20/01/2020 - 16:17

  Can you extend your trip a bit? 7 days for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka is a lot. You could spend 7 days in Tokyo in that time and still feel like you've missed stuff, especially if you're doing Ghibli and Disneysea. I think you're putting too much in. Eg, the train takes nearly 3 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto, not including all the other travel involved from getting to and from Hotels. That's a lot of travel time that I'm not sure you're properly factoring in.

  Another example is Disneysea. It's huge, so if you want to see it properly, you'll need a full day (which means into the night). There's the night show as well. You'll be exhausted at the end of the day, and need to get back into the city, so i'm not sure shopping and arcades are going to work after that day. I think we got back close to midnight staying until park close (at 10ish).

  If it were me I'd either add 3-7 days or cut Kyoto totally and just stay in Tokyo.

  • 

    abb on 20/01/2020 - 16:27

    cut Kyoto totally

    Tokyo is one of my favourite places in the world, but this is madness!

    I'd cut Osaka and Disney. Tokyo has a lot sure, and there are individual suburbs where I'd happily spend a few days, but Kyoto's temples are amazing (if you're into that kind of thing).

  • 

    yoonibear on 20/01/2020 - 16:47

    Piggybacking off this - have a look at the Disneysea crowd predictor, it'll help figure out which days you could go to avoid crowds. http://en.disneyreal.asumirai.info/monthly/6month-expect.htm…

    *Also, have a look at a few Youtube videos on how to plan around the fast pass tickets :)

  • 

    Clear on 20/01/2020 - 18:14

    cut Kyoto

    I spent 3 days in Kyoto and that was a mistake. It should have been longer. Can easily spend a night in Nara too.

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  abb on 20/01/2020 - 16:22

  Nara is a 45 min train trip (each way) from Kyoto, so you might struggle to fit everything in on day 5. Depends how much time you spend at each site I guess. (I have no idea what a 'kimono session' is or how long to allow for it!) Might be an idea to leave your bags at the station to save going back to the hotel, should only cost a few bucks for a locker.

  You've got a lot of things listed for each day, logistically it's certainly doable if you're comfortable navigating the trains etc (you've seen a Tokyo subway map yeah?), but maybe have a think about things you could cut if you run short of time. If you're enjoying something, you might not want to rush it to tick the next box on your list…

  Recommend hiring bikes in Kyoto, things aren't very far apart. Buses are ok if bikes aren't an option though.

  additional must do suggestions :)

  It's all personal taste…

  • 

    eathb on 20/01/2020 - 16:27

    Think it's literally just a rent a Kimono thing that my partner wants to do. Had the same thought when I dropped map pins on Google, was planning to do Fushimi Inari at around 4-5AM ish to make up some time but it looks like I'll have to drop some things.

    Thanks for the Station locker idea! Didn't think of that as an option.

    • 

      abb on 20/01/2020 - 16:36

      Do you want a holiday or an amazing race style stress test? ;)

      I've done more hectic itineraries than this as a solo traveller, but more people usually means everything is slower and you might get tired & angry with each other. Disagreements on how much time to spend, when to eat, what to eat, etc etc.

      You're the only one who can decide :)

      (BTW on reflection a half-day at Nara is probably ok so day 5 is plausible)

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 24/01/2020 - 13:08

      If kimono session is just going around in the city in Kimono, then you can do this in plenty of places. Looking at your itinerary, walking around Gion in kimono is a good option.

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  DarthAntz on 20/01/2020 - 16:29

  Looks awesome, youve done very well.
  The national museum of emerging sciences is near that gundam statue, and odaiba onsen.
  Unless you eat a lot of fish and enjoy speciality fish, you dont need to go to the tsukiji fish markets. The documentary will give you a closer look.
  You are doubling up with some of the dotonbori and shopping arcades, they are the same everywhere.
  You can get your arcade fix along the way, you'll find some in a dotonbori or big shopping centre area near that gundam statue. big otaku area.
  March 1st is graduation day, so everyone in their senior year of high school is graduating.

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  msugi on 20/01/2020 - 16:38

  Tsukiji fish market itself has shut and move to Toyosu, and renamed as Toyosu Market. But the outer market still exist

  https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html

  Ghibli museum, their ticket usually sold out pretty quick, tickets available 3 months prior the date you're looking to go, buy online overseas to ensure you don't miss out but more expensive compare to buying in Lawson which is their convenience store.

  • 

    eathb on 20/01/2020 - 16:44

    Hi, I believe the outer area of the fish market is still going?

    • 

      Clear on 20/01/2020 - 23:49

      Yup the outer area with all the markets and good food is still going strong. You'll be rubbing shoulders closer to lunch time in a lot of areas though.

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  yoonibear on 20/01/2020 - 16:44

  IMO I'd cut out Dontonbori - it wasn't that nice when we visited. Day 5 seems really cramped, specially considering how vast Nara Park is and you don't want your trip to be a travelling from point A to B and ticking off things on a checklist. Also, you might need to either rent a bicycle or take a cab as commuting will take up a big portion of your trip.

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  bob smith on 20/01/2020 - 16:46

  -1

  Looks good.

  Be sure to check out their convenience stores (7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawsons), their variety of food is pretty good.

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  beenzino on 20/01/2020 - 16:57

  Day (1) There is Golden Gai in Shinjuku which you can visit at night (might be pricy though)
  Day (2) Don't think there are any arcades in Shibuya - might want to check out Akihabara for those? Team Lab / Divercity Mall kind of located very far and may have long lines so long wait times are expected. - personally with the limited time you have I would rather check out Shinjuku Goen Garden / Meiji Shine / Yoyogi Park
  Day (4) Maybe try fit Osaka Castle in there. Might as well if you're only there for 1 day. Dotonburi is 2-4 hours at max. Nara Park is 2-4 hours max maybe fit in this day in the morning. Edit I would make is early AM: Nara Park, early lunch at Nara, Osaka Castle in Arvo, Explore Dotonburi / Shinsaibashi at night.
  Day (5) Are you using a luggage forwarding service or taking limited luggage? I'd imagine this would be a very tiresome day if you have to carry around luggage. At night after check-in maybe can go to Ginza, Roppongi or Ikebukuro for dinner
  Day (7) Somewhere else for dinner since Day 2 night is to be spent in Shibuya

  I feel like a significant proportion of your time is spent on paid entertainments/instagramish stuff (e.g. museums / team lab / disney) which limits what you can explore (they are located out of the way, have boundaries and are time consuming). While those activities have their own merit, a suggestion I would have is to cut down on some and do more exploring / roaming and actually experience Japan (your itinerary is missing huge sections of Tokyo like Akihabara, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Harajuku, Ginza, Roppongi).

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  Bargain80 on 20/01/2020 - 17:24

  +2

  trust me, those three cities in 7 days is not enough.
  I did it for 10 days and feel that I should have go with 14 days.

  There's so much to do (especially Tokyo) that you will spend time doing something outside your original itinerary.

  Also, Disney Sea closes very late at night. You might want to maximise your spend time there until it closes.
  Unlike theme parks here that close at 5 PM, Disney Sea is open until 10 PM.

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  Some Guy on 21/01/2020 - 00:59

  +1

  Way too much in such a short time for mine. Seven days in Tokyo alone, including perhaps a trip to Fuji/Hakone, would be a calmer and more enjoyable experience. As @kissinterlude has mentioned, there's a bunch of great suburbs you're missing. You'll get a better vibe, spend less time on trains, and you can do the other places on your next visit.

  OTOH, things in Tokyo might be heating up for the Olympics, which may or may not mean that Tokyo is best avoided? Then just do the Kyoto/Osaka swing (throw in Kobe too) first and leave Tokyo for next time. Pretty sure there'll be a next time.

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  Bonbi on 21/01/2020 - 14:56

  Extremely rushed itinerary

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  melay0326 on 21/01/2020 - 15:25

  add golden pavilion at Kyoto.. dont forget to checkout the geishas at night ;-)

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  starburstyellow on 22/01/2020 - 01:12

  Crazy packed schedule. I would hate to be traveling with you. I would do what others say, all 7 days Tokyo.

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  TightTerry on 24/01/2020 - 11:38

  Have flights booked for May - Advice for booking accommodation in Japan? Ie websites for hotels, or airbnb? - Will be going with partner. Best time to book - or just asap?

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  [Deactivated] on 24/01/2020 - 13:17

  I think the travel time between places on Day 2 is severely underestimated.
  Tsukiji > Odaiba is 40 mins trip, Teamlab > DiverCity is 1km walk, Divercity > Sensoji (Asakusa) is 1hr trip, Asakusa > Shibuya is 40 mins trip
  I suggest to swap the DisneySea + shopping day to day 6 (Friday), do the museum visits on day 7 (Saturday).
  Monday-Thursday is better for shopping or when going into highly concentrated places like DisneySea.